Felipe and Letizia's 10th Wedding Anniversary: May 22, 2014


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There were also mixed reactions on the bride, a news anchor whom came in the Spanish living rooms day after day and now suddenly no longer was "Letizia Ortiz from Telediario" but Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias and future Queen of Spain. Many watched it with disbelief, never expecting that one of the grandest monarchies, deemed to respect tradition, would find this alliance "fitting" and "acceptable". So there was scepticism in parts of society (which is still apparent under the surface).
 
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Duc_et_Pair said:
There were also mixed reactions on the bride, a news anchor whom came in the Spanish living rooms day after day and now suddenly no longer was "Letizia Ortiz from Telediario" but Her Royal Highness The Princess of Asturias and future Queen of Spain. Many watched it with disbelief, never expecting that one of the grandest monarchies, deemed to respect tradition, would find this alliance "fitting" and "acceptable". So there was scepticism in parts of society (which is still apparent under the surface).
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The disapproval for that reason may be there but only among (elderly) conservative reactionaries I gather, a very small minority in Spain these days.

If after 10 years these people still can not phantom that the former TVE newsreader is their future queen, they should seek therapy. Much weirder things happen on a daily basis so I wonder how these people get through life.

Of all the newcomers, IMHO Pss Letizia is the one that has proven herself the most: she has by far the most public engagements of all crown princesses (including Q. Mathilde and Q. Máxima before they became Queens). And added to that, she is in the most difficult position and has to handle the atrocious Spanish press. Quite frankly I wouldn't know what else they expect her to do to 'prove' herself further, esp. since it is obvious that the people in charge decided that her seperate agenda should be limited.

Most people disapproving of the princess do that for other reasons than her carreer or anscestors.

-----

ricarda said:
Out of the 3 weddings I watched in 2004 this certainly was the most boring/disappointing one. Thanks to the rain there was at least a little bit of emotion/sympathy involved.
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I liked this wedding the most actually, no cheap emotions like in soap operas, a proper mass instead of rushing people out of church within 30 minutes as they do in Scandinavia, a massive turn-out of reigning and non-reigning royals and the music was devine. It suited the couple IMO. Just a pity of the weather & consequently the lack of people on the street. Another pity was that there was no pre-wedding tiara event, but that was hardly surprising considering the Spanish monarchy is rather understated (and neither was there a tiara event in the UK, Belgium or the Netherlands).
 
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I agree with you Marengo, and with your permission I quote you:
"I liked this wedding the most actually, no cheap emotions like in soap operas, a proper mass instead of rushing people out of church within 30 minutes as they do in Scandinavia, a massive turn-out of reigning and non-reigning royals and the music was devine. It suited the couple IMO. Just a pity of the weather & consequently the lack of people on the street. Another pity was that there as no pre-wedding tiara event, but that was hardly surprising considering the Spanish monarchy is rather understated (and neither was there a tiara event in the UK, Belgium or the Netherlands)."
 
Marengo said:
I liked this wedding the most actually, no cheap emotions like in soap operas, a proper mass instead of rushing people out of church within 30 minutes as they do in Scandinavia, a massive turn-out of reigning and non-reigning royals and the music was devine. It suited the couple IMO. Just a pity of the weather & consequently the lack of people on the street. Another pity was that there was no pre-wedding tiara event, but that was hardly surprising considering the Spanish monarchy is rather understated (and neither was there a tiara event in the UK, Belgium or the Netherlands).
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Yes I did too,plus I did like the Almudena Cathedral and Palacio Real as the setting for the Wedding.There was a pre-wedding gathering at the El Pardo I think but it was not a tiara event.The ceremony at the Basilica de Nuestra Senora de Atocha where Princess Letizia placed her wedding bouquet on the altar of the Virgin Mary was beautiful.It was such a shame about the weather,but that couldn't be helped.

Also the wedding gave us are very rare balcony moment for the Spanish Royal Family.
 
Marengo said:
Most people disapproving of the princess do that for other reasons than her carreer or anscestors.
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Now your long post (thank you) essentially says: "All is well, Letizia does a terrific job" what is then your idea behind the undeniable lukewarm approval for Letizia in Spanish society and the -in your words- "atrocious press" towards their very own former colleague, why is Letizia always feed for a heated debate and a split opinion from day one until today?

Even in the uncritical and always-and-ever worshipping Hola!-magazine "the other latina", Máxima of the Netherlands, seems to outshine Letizia. Where the reactions on the first one are always "Guapa! Una dama enamorada! Irradia simpatía! Brillando con naturalidad!" under articles regarding their very own Spanish royal, Letizia, the comments' section often is closed as a precaution?

:ermm:
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
Now your long post (thank you) essentially says: "All is well, Letizia does a terrific job" what is then your idea behind the undeniable lukewarm approval for Letizia in Spanish society and the -in your words- "atrocious press" towards their very own former colleague, why is Letizia always feed for a heated debate and a split opinion from day one until today?

Even in the uncritical and always-and-ever worshipping Hola!-magazine "the other latina", Máxima of the Netherlands, seems to outshine Letizia. Where the reactions on the first one are always "Guapa! Una dama enamorada! Irradia simpatía! Brillando con naturalidad!" under articles regarding their very own Spanish royal, Letizia, the comments' section often is closed as a precaution?

:ermm:
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So ? There are plenty of South American posters in all of the Spanish internet forums. What is there to compare ? Maxima is not the Princess of Asturias, thus not subject to be scrutinized.
 
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Well, it is nice that apparently many South-American posters (how do you know?) sing the praise of the Dutch Queen. Still I have no answer on the questions I made about the lukewarm approval for Letizia, the "atrocious press", the always heated debate and the split opinion from day one onwards?
 
Spain is a country where the Spaniards having success are criticized, but praises foreigners. If Letizia does not what other princesses do, she is criticized ... but if she does the critics are even worse. Comparisons are made continuously, but usually based on topics created without looking further.

They praise Máxima, but if she was in Spain they will criticize her desire for prominence, want to outshine other members of the Royal Family, her flashy clothes, trips abroad, her control of the press...

These days some praise danish anniversary photos, but if Felipe and Letizia had done some pictures like that, they had criticized them for not posing for all the media, being kitschy, use photoshop ...

The Spanish press has no limits ... the success of jokes on twitter on this anniversary has been a magazine that has published a fictitious interview with Letizia. :lol:

Letizia, la conversación que podría haber tenido con nuestra revista - Diez Minutos
 
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Marengo: Of all the newcomers, IMHO Ps Letizia is the one that has proven herself the most: she has by far the most public engagements of all crown princesses (including Q. Mathilde and Q. Máxima before they became Queens). And added to that, she is in the most difficult position and has to handle the atrocious Spanish press. Quite frankly I wouldn't know what else they expect her to do to 'prove' herself further, esp. since it is obvious that the people in charge decided that her seperate agenda should be limited.

Most people disapproving of the princess do that for other reasons than her career or ancestors.

:flowers::flowers::flowers::flowers:Thank you.........that is the best insightful comment on Letizia, she has had the most difficult job of being a crown princess and I think it is all due to the jealousy of the royal family, the king, the queen and their 2 daughters, none of them seem like they like her. She is one very intelligent woman, strong minded and how in the hell she does her job in that family is beyond me. The press are ruled by the king and his cronies no doubt and I think they must really watch her every move. I really can't stand that old man the king, he needs to go somewhere and never be heard of again.........and the Queen, well she is I think not ready to accept the fact that one day she will have to give up her position, after all, I don't think this was a happy marriage at all.....and all she really has in life is just the job of being queen, nothing else. She does have her 2 daughters and yet I wonder at times how those relationships are. I don't find her life very fulfilling and happy.
P/L are the very best that Spain has and if that monarchy survives, it will be because of them doing the best they can.......under the hard eye of the king.
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
Well, it is nice that apparently many South-American posters (how do you know?) sing the praise of the Dutch Queen. Still I have no answer on the questions I made about the lukewarm approval for Letizia, the "atrocious press", the always heated debate and the split opinion from day one onwards?
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It's very easy to see which continent the posters were from. Maxima is an Argentina, thus she has some fans from South America, not a surprise.
I don't want to repeat what lula said about the Spanish press. Nobody is perfect, any woman in Letizia's position likely would get heavily scrutinized, to be found 'faults' on, nothing new on the internet forums (some press outlets in Spain have been copying stories/comments from the internet).
 
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More information about the dinner

Felipe y Letizia: una cena de 40 euros para celebrar 10 años de casados

They arrived at 10 pm, and occupied a large table that is usually shared with others. They ate humus and tabouleh, and two pizzas. To drink they shared a couple of beers each and closed with tarts for dessert.

The bill was 40 euros and left at 11 after being photographed with some people.

"Matadero" is a cultural center, and before dinner they were in the cinema watching "Too Much Johnson" of Orson Welles, a silent comedy, for a Spanish musician has composed a soundtrack.

A photo

http://estatico.vozpopuli.com/image....jpg/resizeCut/879-0-800/0-121-534/imagen.jpg
 
SElizabeth said:
[....] The press are ruled by the king and his cronies no doubt [....]
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You really believe that? El País, ABC, El Mundo, La Vanguardia, El Periódico, all ruled by the King and his entourage? All splashing the King's affairs on the frontpages, all beheading Iñaki and Infanta Crístina, all critical on the monarchy and you say: "The press are ruled by the king and his cronies no doubt"...

:lol::ROFLMAO::whistling:
 
An extensive investigation by El Mundo (one of Spains biggest quality newspapers and not by Hola!, Diez Minutos, Semana or other gossip magazines): El apoyo a la Monarqu?a sigue cayendo pero crece la valoraci?n del Pr?ncipe Felipe | Espa?a | EL MUNDO

In comparison with an earlier investigation, the Princess has dropped a bit in the approval ratings in the 10th year of her marriage: her approval rate is 50,1%. Monarchy is not about ration. Any rational thinking person would opt for a republic, I think. Monarchy is about emotion. Apparently Letizia does not apply on emotion, after all rationally seen, she has completed a faultless parcours, maybe the most perfect parcours of all "colleagues".

At the same time Don Felipe seems to play the right notes. His approval rates are fantastic and in fact always have been on a constante. Where in other monarchies the spouses are instrumental in the popularity (Netherlands, Belgium), in Spain it looks like Don Felipe enjoys great approval on his very own, his spouse not instrumental in this.
 
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Duc_et_Pair said:
An extensive investigation by El Mundo (one of Spains biggest quality newspapers and not by Hola!, Diez Minutos, Semana or other gossip magazines): El apoyo a la Monarqu?a sigue cayendo pero crece la valoraci?n del Pr?ncipe Felipe | Espa?a | EL MUNDO

In comparison with an earlier investigation, the Princess has dropped a bit in the approval ratings in the 10th year of her marriagee: her approval rate is 50,1%. Monarchy is not about ration. Any rational thinking person would opt for a republic, I think. Monarchy is about emotion. Apparently Letizia does not apply on emotion, after all rationally seen, she has completed a faultless parcours, maybe the most perfect parcours of all "colleagues".

At the same time Don Felipe seems to play the right notes. His approval rates are fantastic and in fact always have been on a constante. Where in other monarchies the spouses are instrumental in the popularity (Netherlands, Belgium), in Spain it looks like Don Felipe enjoys great approval on his very own, his spouse not instrumental in this.
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The article also says, that various rumours have affected to the popularity of Letizia. It seems to me that most of these rumours come from the gossip press and are not true at all.
 
Duc, really not all are so critical :whistling:

You can not cover the sun with one finger, and when there is a scandal like Noos the press can not hide everything and not talk about it, less today with the Internet and social networks.

Issues of infidelity entertain the Spaniards, and Corinna as a lover, was far less dangerous than Corinna and her businesses... probably the press could have gone much further.

At this time all these newspapers are actively working in the campaign to restore the image of the King... the press is no stranger to the political and economic interests ... more when there is a crisis.

About the ratings ... the Royal House has kept Letizia in the background, with few official activities, her freedom of action is far from that of other European princesses... so for the press has been very easy to reduce her to a frivolous character and just talk about her clothes.

This week I have not read or seen in the press almost no reference to the official activities of Letizia or her social work. The most comprehensive information about that I have read in the French magazine Point de Vue. There the spokeswoman of Spanish Association Against Cancer, said that the Spanish press is not interested in know the work Letizia does with them, only in the clothes she wears.
 
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Duc_et_Pair said:
In comparison with an earlier investigation, the Princess has dropped a bit in the approval ratings in the 10th year of her marriagee: her approval rate is 50,1%. Monarchy is not about ration. Any rational thinking person would opt for a republic, I think. Monarchy is about emotion. Apparently Letizia does not apply on emotion, after all rationally seen, she has completed a faultless parcours, maybe the most perfect parcours of all "colleagues".
Click to expand...

This is very true, we can easily see in other countries that the female spouses can make the rather blah heirs shine (Netherlands, Denmark). I work for a Dutch company and those colleagues still make fun of WA being rather bland, not being the sharpest knife in the drawer, 'Prince Pils', but Maxima woaaaahhhh etc.

In Spain, this didnt work. Long before the gossip press went into overdrive about Letizia, from the day of the engagement, it seemed that people didnt really warm up to her, for whatever reason. It may be because of the way she comes across to many people, cold, bossy, not authentic (even the Prince said that she needs to smile more) and the way she was being handled by the royal house. Her work conduct may be flawless, but it hasn't been enough to win people over. Now the image that has been fed by the gossip press over the last 10 years sticks and it will be difficult to turn emotions around.
 
The attacks came from the first day of the engagement, from the moment she asked the Prince to let her keep talking, they were against her. Probably that is closely related to that in Spain there is still a segment of the very macho society, as is the Royal House itself. From that day and the continuous attacks of the press that made her putting out a wall to protect herself, that probably grew stronger with the death of her sister.

She is a serious person, but not a cold person, and that's what she must be allowed to demonstrate. For that they should reduce the serious and boring events and allow her to approach people. It would be good for her and the House.

I heard this week that the Spanish press wants Letizia, to be something of a perfect blend between Queen Sofia and Queen Máxima... very professional, always in her place, without a word, living enclosed in palace... while being spontaneous and with a permanent smile ... and that's impossible.

Actually the story of Queen Sofia in Spain was not different ... for years she was a woman in the background, seen as too cold. Only when she began to develop a more active social role, the voyages of cooperation and grandchildren were born, her image changed.
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
Well, it is nice that apparently many South-American posters (how do you know?)
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The way of speaking ;)
Even when you read it, South American Spanish is way different from the European one. Even within South America, any Spanish-speaker can tell if the person who writes is Mexican or Argetinian, for instance.
 
lula said:
These days some praise danish anniversary photos, but if Felipe and Letizia had done some pictures like that, they had criticized them for not posing for all the media, being kitschy, use photoshop ...
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Yes. some of the ones that have praised the Danish photoshoot crticised one year ago the spending on Letizia´s 40th birthday photoshoot :wacko::wacko::wacko:
 
lula said:
The attacks came from the first day of the engagement, from the moment she asked the Prince to let her keep talking, they were against her. Probably that is closely related to that in Spain there is still a segment of the very macho society, as is the Royal House itself. From that day and the continuous attacks of the press that made her putting out a wall to protect herself, that probably grew stronger with the death of her sister.
Click to expand...

I dont think it would have gone much differently without that famous sentence, it was her whole attitude, quite snappy/bossy, same the day before at their first outing at Zarzuela II, that didn't go down well.

Actually the story of Queen Sofia in Spain was not different ... for years she was a woman in the background, seen as too cold. Only when she began to develop a more active social role, the voyages of cooperation and grandchildren were born, her image changed.
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I am sure that will happen to Letizia too, people won't bother with her much anymore, she will become as boring as Queen Sofia for the public. Within the next 10 years the focus of the aggressive gossip magazines will probably change towards Leonor and Sofia, there is plenty of money to be made with the girls once they become adults and working royals.
 
Duke of Marmalade said:
Within the next 10 years the focus of the aggressive gossip magazines will probably change towards Leonor and Sofia, there is plenty of money to be made with the girls once they become adults and working royals.
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Poor girls, I am already fastening the seatbelts for them.... At the other hand: were the Spanish media ever so hostile, poisonous, virulent, toxic and negative to Doña Elena and Doña Crístina? There is something in Letizia which triggers the media.

Maybe there is also a hidden and non-spoken feeling: "Don't walk with your nose up into the air, girl. Don't pretend you are a Queen. We all know you are just one of us!" and Spaniards seem to like to ridicule and mock "climbers". Maybe that is tone he hidden sentiments? People can judge very harsh. Like in those British costume-dramas where girls from lower standings succeed in making a good marriage but then come into hell because of constant rejections which is always hidden and never in the face.

:ermm:
 
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Elena and Cristina born infantas, just for that they are more protected. They were not particularly interesting or beautiful. The press is coward, to attack Marichalar, Urdangarin or Felipe´s girlfriends was always easier.

Spain is a gossip country, but Letizia arrival coincided with a time when that kind of press was omnipresent, half hours of television were filled with gossip... and also with the boom of social media and digital publications. Letizia became a very profitable media magnet.
 
The image portrayed here of the Spaniards, and of their press [in particular] is a very sorry one. I feel deeply for the princess and her daughters if this is a true reflection of the way they are treated.

And i thought the British press were bad !
 
wyevale said:
The image portrayed here of the Spaniards, and of their press [in particular] is a very sorry one. I feel deeply for the princess and her daughters if this is a true reflection of the way they are treated.

And i thought the British press were bad !
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Such a shame that certain elements of the Spanish media cannot focus on the fact that Letizia is a wonderful support to Prince Felipe, a doting & protective mother and one of the hardest working royals in Europe!
 
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